Eighth Time Is A Charm
by Salome Weil
Summary: In their 8th Year Draco pursues Hermione, unaware of just how damaged they all are, or who already holds her heart. Can love triumph over old ghosts, or will recovery make their needs take the backseat? R/Hr, H/Hr, D/Hr and Ginny make an appearance.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own no part of the Harry Potter franchise, all rights, characters and ideas belong to J.K. Rowling and co. and I make no money off this fic.**

**AN: Dunno how far I'll take this. Eighth year, focusing on relationships, love rectangles, recovery and melodrama, as per usual. I hope you like this tidbit- your response will let me know if I should continue it. **

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"We can't keep doing this."

Her breath was loud in the small space, but her words were so quiet he wasn't sure he'd heard right at first. He stopped, his hands still about her waist, her hips frozen in their motion while her lips tickled his ear. While they drove him crazy.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I thought I heard you say-"

"You did," she interrupted him and sat back, her hazel eyes watching him seriously.

"Don't be so melodramatic Granger. Merlin."

She narrowed her eyes and swung one leg up and off and his hands slipped from her waist.

"Oh, what did I say this time?"

"The same thing you always say, Malfoy," she muttered, snatching her sweater from where it lay slung across the bottom half of his bed. He eyed her with mild contempt, one brow arched in superiority.

"Fine. Have it your way. Just having some fun anyway and to be honest, the minute it isn't fun anymore is the time to stop."

She paused in the act of pulling her sweater over that bushy head of hair and rolled her eyes at him.

"Don't pull that high and mighty act with me, Draco. You're such an ass. Like my feelings are so hurt by anything you have to say."

"Oh, clearly," he replied, "since you're no longer straddling a perfectly ready and able lap."

Her eyes strayed to said lap and she smirked at him.

"I wouldn't say that."

He flushed and threw his own discarded sweater at her. "Watch it, Granger."

"I thought I was," she said coyly and his eyes narrowed.

"You think you're so bloody clever-"

"I am so bloody clever," she replied and then pushed the bed curtains back and stood up, straightening her skirt and robes. "I'm so bloody clever that I'm-"

"Yes, a professor's assistant. How could I possibly forget that since you won't stop reminding everybody in the entire school?"

"Please, Draco. Stop being so…"

He sat up and glared outright. "So what, Granger? What am I being, pray do tell?"

She raised her brows in an expression that clearly said, far be it from me to touch that with a ten foot pole, and turned away, heading for the door.

"You're a bitch, Hermione," he called and she spun about, curtsying and smiling delightfully.

"I'm so glad you finally noticed, Draco, darling. See you next period." Then she blew him a kiss and did her best flounce out the door, slamming it shut behind her. Draco stared at the closed door moodily, then crossed his arms behind his head and flopped back against his pillows again, painfully aware that he'd just driven away a perfectly willing and relatively good-looking witch again- for the fourth time that week.

He wouldn't wonder what his problem was- he'd had a very stressful last year, after all- except that in all four cases it had been the same witch.

Hermione Granger, it seemed, was getting to be A Problem.

* * *

"Mm. A delicious little problem, though."

"A fucking spitfire problem."

"I'd like to get my hands on that problem-"

"No, you wouldn't, Nott," Draco growled. "And neither of you are helping much."

Blaise eyed him as he twirled his cigarette between his fingers and Theo sneered.

"Where you picked up such a filthy habit I'll never know," Theo muttered and Blaise smirked at him.

"You love it."

"You only think I love it."

"For god's sake, can we get back to me and stop fantasizing about each other?"

"Why, Draco, I didn't know you fantasized about us," Blaise murmured, leaning forward, one hand pressed over his heart. He spoiled the effect by taking a drag.

Theo sighed. "I don't know why I put up with him."

"Because you really do love him, you-"

"Don't start with the name calling, Draco, it's unbecoming," Theo interrupted and Blaise added his two cents.

"Yeah. If you're talking like that to her, it's no wonder she won't give you the time of day past a good dry humping."

"Don't be so crude. That's not how it is."

"Isn't it, though?" Theo remarked and Draco tried to muster a glare and failed miserably.

"Yeah, alright, it is. But it's just me, you know. Being my bloody charming, snarky-"

"Arrogant."

"Elitist."

"Purist."

"I'm not a bad person!" Draco protested and Blaise and Theo were silent for a few seconds while Draco dug a hand into his hair. "Ok, I used to be a bad person and old habits die hard. But I don't call her names unless provoked and trust me, she provokes me. I treat her well, I don't pretend like I'm doing her a favor by dating her-"

"Hold it, hold it," Blaise said, hunching over the table. "You're dating now?"

Draco looked uncomfortable. "Er," he said.

"That means no," Theo translated and Blaise gave him an irritated look.

"Yes, I speak Malfoy fluently, thank you, Theo, love."

"You're welcome," Theo replied merrily. Draco dragged his hands down his face.

"Can we please get back to me?"

"Fine. Moving on. So, you aren't dating," Blaise summed up.

"No. But I'd like to?"

"And you're having trouble sealing the deal," Theo filled in.

Draco glared at him, but nodded sullenly. Theo and Blaise glanced at one another, then back at him. Blaise stubbed his cigarette out.

"Look, mate. The first thing you need to do is stop coming to us every time something goes wrong. Clearly we know nothing about relationships with the opposite sex."

Draco snorted and Theo smirked. Blaise went on.

"Secondly, the more time you spend here, off campus, the less time you have on campus with her. Since she pretty much never leaves the school."

Draco sat back. "That actually makes sense," he offered and Theo smirked again.

"Really? Does it? Shocking, that. So, what's the plan, then?"

"Dunno," Draco admitted. "Wing it?"

"Sounds about your style," Blaise responded and reached for another cig.

"Will you stop bloody smoking those?" Theo griped and as he and Blaise got into it yet again- in a tiff that was sure to end in the privacy of their shared bedroom- Draco stood up, waved goodbye, and Flooed back to Hogwarts.

* * *

Hermione nestled the phone between her ear and shoulder as she juggled yet another stack of books and papers, trying to keep hold of them despite the wind. She was in the Owlery, the only spot on the entire grounds where one could get reception. She suspected there was a faulty connection in the spells negating Muggle technology, but she wasn't about to bring it up to anyone. Not when she'd finally got her friends to use cell phones as well, actually making the live zone worthwhile.

"And Ginny? How is she?" Ron was asking her now and she sighed and flipped through a few papers, marking big red Dreadfuls across the tops of nearly all of them. She finally marked a Poor instead and sighed with relief.

"Ginny? She's fine," she answered absentmindedly. "You know her. Always got her fingers in something."

"Yeah, that sounds like Gin. And…you? How are you, Hermione?"

Hermione paused and then set the papers down, settling back against the wall and holding the phone properly.

"Ron, that's the third time you've asked me that. What's going on?"

"Nothing! You just seem…distracted. I wonder if you're really alright. I know it must be weird, me and Harry not being there."

"We're already two months into the year, Ron," she said wryly. "If I was going to feel weird about it the time to check on me was weeks ago. But, as a matter of fact, I am not feeling weird about it. I'm perfectly fine. In fact, I don't believe I ever got as much work done as I have these two months, than when you two were here. So there."

"So you're glad we're not there?" Ron asked doubtfully and Hermione giggled and set the books aside entirely, drawing her knees up to her chest.

"That's not what I mean, although you probably deserve to think that at least for a little while," she cooed and Ron made a gurgling noise.

"Merlin, Hermione. You're so damned-"

"Loving? Kind? Charismatic?" she offered and he laughed.

"Saucy, I was gonna say, but those work too. So, will we see you this weekend?"

She frowned and ran a gloved hand over her hair, idly checking for owl droppings. Nope, still clean. Her wand work was holding up beautifully, as usual.

"Actually, I have to monitor the trip to Hogsmeade this go round. But you could meet me there if you wanted." She hesitated, then said, "I'm sure Ginny would love to see Harry if he wants to come, too."

"Yeah, I dunno if that's a good idea. He'd like to see you, though, I'm pretty sure. Hang on." She heard him muffle the call against his hand and then a distant, "Oi! Harry! Want to go to Hogsmeade this weekend, see Hermione?" filtered through. She didn't hear Harry's response and a second later Ron was back on.

"Let me work on him," he said. "He'll come, he's just being a-"

"If you call me a big girl's blouse again I really won't come," Hermione heard Harry warn Ron in the background and she giggled again.

"Alright, Ron. Talk to you later, then. Let me know what you decide."

"Will do. Love you."

"Love you too," she said as sweetly as possible and then hung up.

She stared at the phone thoughtfully for a minute before putting it away, then reached for the books and papers once more. To her distaste she could see an owl had mistaken the top paper for toilet roll and she sighed and started to wave her wand at it before she thought better of it. That particular paper had been one of the most abysmal, after all. Owl dropping seemed to describer her opinion of it far better than a bit of red ink ever could.

With a chilly smirk, she left the droppings just where they were, spelling away the smell, at least, then gathered all her things and carefully started from the Owlery.

* * *

Ron eyed Harry for a minute before he shrugged, tossed the phone onto the sofa and wandered into the kitchen. Harry looked after him, his gaze darting from the phone to the open doorway. Then he followed Ron, sliding past the couch and deftly pocketing the phone as he passed. He paused in the doorway and watched Ron bustle about with the tea kettle.

"Making a cuppa?"

"Yeah. Want one?" Ron responded, not turning around. He reached up and grabbed a box of biscuits from the open cupboard. The small door gently banged shut and Harry tried not to jump, he really did. Ron sighed and turned around to stare at Harry.

"Come on, mate, you're never going make it through training that way."

"I can't help it!" Harry complained and took a seat at the bar. "It's not like you don't suffer from it too-"

"Harry, everyone we know has PTSD. We've all been to Mungo's, Ginny even sees a Muggle counselor once a month thanks to Hermione's suggestion. And I know, I know none of us went through exactly what you did. But really, I don't see that it's gotten any better. Do you?"

It would be better if Hermione were around, Harry thought, but he stared glumly at the countertop and avoided Ron's gaze.

"No," he muttered finally and Ron nodded and turned back to the tea.

"There you are. I hate to say it, mate, but I agree with Hermione on this- I think you should've gone back for Eighth Year."

"Like being back at Hogwarts would help," Harry replied with venom and Ron shrugged.

"I'm just saying, Harry, that it's a good, peaceful place again. They really cleaned the place out over the summer- I've been to visit Hermione a couple of times-"

He missed the way Harry shuddered at mention of that and went on.

"- and it's really nice. Totally normal again. Besides, it's not as if-"

"If I wanted to go back to Hogwarts I would've, ok, Ron? Stop asking!" Harry exploded and Ron looked back at him, frowning.

"Alright. Alright, Harry, I'm sorry. I'll leave it alone, then. Until you're ready to talk about it."

"I'm never going to be ready to talk about it," Harry said softly and leaned over the bar, resting his head on his arms.

Ron was quiet for a few seconds and then began pouring out the tea and dumping biscuits on a plate. He set the things down before Harry and sat down opposite him. Harry picked up a biscuit and nibbled at it forlornly. Ron shoved a whole one in his mouth and washed it down with some tea, then spoke.

"Does this mean Hogsmeade this weekend is out?"

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**AN: Sooo...tell me what you think... :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of this stuff, it all belongs to Warner Bros. and J.K. Rowling and Scholastic and whatever. WHATEVER. I don't make any money off this fic.**

**AN: So I guess some of you liked the first chapter, so here's another. Sorry the updates are gonna take a bit longer with this one. I've got *counts* five open projects right now and they're killing me.**

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**Draco was hard pressed to pinpoint exactly when Hermione Granger had become A Problem. He barely remembered anything that had happened after the final battle, he hadn't seen her much during that last year except in highly stressful situations where the last thing on his mind had been getting into a witch's knickers, and of course he hadn't seen her at all over the summer. There had been one orientation, close to the start of the year and after all the trials and investigations, where he'd spotted her across the room of other students returning for Eighth Year. She'd met his eyes once and that had been that.

Rather, they'd ignored one another completely and not spoken one word. In fact it was only once he'd gotten home that night and his mother had asked about the other students that she'd crossed his mind again. He'd blurted out, "Hermione Granger is coming back."

Narcissa had looked politely interested and Draco had gone on, "Merlin. It's only just- I mean I've only thought of it now, but I suppose things will be awkward."

Again, polite interest from his mother. He'd shrugged.

"Do you think I should…say anything to her?"

"Anything? Or something in particular?" his mother had asked calmly.

"I don't know," Draco had said. "Apologize, I mean. For-"

"Only if you want to, Draco," Narcissa had murmured, interrupting him. "But if you apologize to her you'll have to apologize to everyone."

"Right. So that's a no. Stupid thought. Sorry, Mum," he'd said and she'd smiled sadly.

"Do what you like, Draco. You actually can, now. Be polite, I mean. Stop caring what others think if you want to make friends with a smart witch like her. A brave witch like her. But I wouldn't start any conversations off with an apology. Then things really will be awkward."

"Right," Draco had repeated, then his face had turned red and he'd stiffly rushed from the room, desperate to escape the shame he'd felt in that moment. Shame at his past, at the position he was in now, at, well, everything.

His mother was right, though, and he'd taken her words to heart. He'd done his best not to cow to Hermione or any of the other so-called _good_ ones when he saw them on the train back. Fortunately the Slytherin car- or the car they'd appropriated- had been incredibly subdued (as was proper) and while there seemed to be a general air of embarrassment and guilt with a touch of reform, no one was paying deference to anyone else or lip service to any ideas in particular.

Draco rather thought they were all simply glad to be alive and sad that their friends were dead, and he was content for that to be that. Or had been content. But then he'd seen her again, in the Great Hall for dinner and the sorting and he hadn't been able to stop ever since. Looking, that is, or thinking, or whatever. She'd filled his mind simply be being her. It wasn't her brilliance- he was plenty smart on his own. It wasn't her looks- she was average, there, though it was a very pretty average now that her teeth were smaller and she wore clothes that fit her and she actually brushed her hair once in a while. It really wasn't the fact that she was as bossy a boots as ever (though admittedly quieter and less confrontational). And while it might now _partly _be the fact that she snogged like a dream, he hadn't kissed her until a few weeks into the school year. No, the thing that had drawn him to her that first night, that had made him pause and think of her every free moment he had, was what they had in common: fear.

It was the fear in her eyes he'd recognized as something he felt every waking moment and sometimes even when he slept. He'd seen it instantly, wondered why he hadn't seen it at orientation, and decided it didn't matter. Maybe he'd been so shocked then to see her at all that it hadn't registered. Maybe she was getting worse at hiding it. Either way, he saw it now, every single day, and after that first night it had been impossible to not act on it. To either apologize every time he saw her, or to drag her to him and crush their mouths together in the hopes that if they suffered their fear together for long enough it might eventually go away.

Of course, he couldn't really do either of those things, so he'd been his usual, snarky, charming self until he'd wormed his way into her knickers. Except he hadn't done that (yet) and he hadn't even been the one to kiss her. She'd practically attacked him one afternoon on the way back from the greenhouse, his arms full of the samples she'd forced him to carry.

After that there'd definitely been no hope for him. Which was why now, as Hermione walked around the classroom collecting papers, his eyes followed her every step of the way. He was certain she noticed, but she didn't give him an inch. He kind of liked that part, too. Being on the receiving end of her iron will was almost as much fun as dishing out a generous portion of flirtation and snarkiness.

She paused at Draco's table and gave him a smug smile as she held her hand out for his exam. He sneered at her in return, but it didn't hold any real venom.

"So," he murmured as he rolled the test up and placed in in her outstretched palm, "where are you headed after this?"

She gave him a look that said, are you seriously trying to proposition me in the middle of your class when I'm your T.A.?

He raised a brow and sat back, shrugging.

"Not doing anything then, I take it?"

She rolled her eyes, but didn't move on to the next desk. "Is this going somewhere, Draco?"

"I hope so," he replied saucily and to his delight she flushed unexpectedly.

"You're a pig," she said and did turn away that time.

"See you outside, after class," he called to her retreating back and was rewarded with a toss of her bushy hair over one shoulder. He shifted in his seat and glanced to his right suddenly to find Luna Lovegood eyeing him from the next desk over.

"What?" he asked, but she looked nonplussed.

"You do know she and Ron are-" she began in that pleasant, bemused voice, but he cut her off.

"Details," he replied succinctly, then cracked open his book and began reading ahead.

Luna appeared to consider his response and draw a thoughtful conclusion before she turned to her own book and did the same.

* * *

"So I hear Draco is bothering you." Ginny plopped her books down next to Hermione and sat beside her in the grass. Hermione glanced over at her.

"He's not bothering me," she said mildly. She turned back to the papers in her lap. Damn, he'd scored another Exceptional. Well, of course he had. He was brilliant. Not naturally talented the way Harry was, or intellectually inclined the way she was, but bloody brilliant all the same.

"It _looked_ like he was bothering you earlier."

"When?" Hermione asked, distracted.

Ginny smacked her arm. "Hermione Granger! Will you pay attention? It's incredibly hard to be a rumor monger when you won't bloody _dish_ for me, isn't it?"

Hermione looked up and smiled sweetly. "I wouldn't know, Ginny. I don't listen to gossip."

"Hermione, come on. Everybody saw you two out there, in the courtyard, chatting." She said the last word like it was the plague. Like it carried lice. Hermione snorted.

"Please, I'm not allowed to talk to my fellow students, especially one who lives on my hall?"

"I can't believe they gave the Eighth Years a mixed dormitory," Ginny grumbled, distracted by the annoying reminder. "Do you know how much Mum has bugged me about it? It's always, 'Ginevra, don't spend too much time with your older friends. I know you like them and that Hermione is a good sort, but I don't want you spending so much time around boys that way, when their beds are so-'"

"Ok, Ginny, I get the picture," Hermione said, giggling some. Ginny smiled complacently and leaned back, staring up at the sky.

"Yeah, well. I suppose she's just being over protective, as usual. Cause of, you know, everything."

"Yeah," Hermione agreed softly.

Ginny pursed her lips and squinted in the sunlight, then closed her eyes. "So," she went on, her eyes still closed, "that's what's going on with you two?"

"Draco, you mean?"

Ginny gave a pretend shudder of revulsion. "Ugh. D'you have to call him that?"

"It's just a name, Ginny. And yes, that's what's going on. We're just acquaintances who can actually stand the sight of one another. He's a brilliant wanker who seems to think that talking to me is a good idea, so we talk. That's all. Now can I please get back to these papers?"

"No. Well, now that's settled, tell me about Hogsmeade this weekend. Is Harry coming?"

"I don't know, Ron hasn't said. Has he talked to you?"

"No." Ginny was quiet for a few moments and Hermione marked up some more papers. The older witch finally set them aside and leaned back with Ginny, looking to the sky too.

"Training is going well for them, though, isn't it?"

"I suppose so." Ginny looked at her, squinting again as the clouds passed away overhead. "Mum has said she's worried about him, though."

"Harry?"

"Yeah. Ron is being brilliant, I guess."

"So's Harry."

"And manic," Ginny said derisively. Hermione could sense the hurt behind her snarky remark, though. She glanced at her friend.

"He'll come around."

"Do you know," Ginny went on, ignoring Hermione's attempt at comfort, "that the other trainees are afraid of him, apparently? He tries to do everything himself and his wand is on a…what do Muggles call it?"

"A hair trigger," Hermione supplied wryly.

"Yeah, that. He gets the training missions completed in half the time of any of the other teams, but he ignores the orders and just does things how he wants to. Ron said he still jumps at the smallest things and the other Aurors are more wary of being in the path of his wand than taking down Dark Wizards. Can you believe it?"

Hermione shrugged uncomfortably.

"They haven't kicked him out," she protested feebly and Ginny snorted.

"Ron thinks it's only a matter of time."

"He hasn't told me that," Hermione murmured, slightly hurt and Ginny eyed her.

"Sorry. I guess he figures since you've been so-" She stopped and looked away.

Hermione frowned. "So what? How have I been? Ginny!"

"You know. Weird."

"Weird? About what?"

"About Harry!" Ginny exploded. "It's all well and good to be best mates with him and defend him, but you haven't even seen him since the summer, you don't even write him, but you're still the first to jump to his defense-"

"Oh, stop it, Ginny. I have not-"

"You have. And you're being stupid if you think Ron hasn't noticed. If you think I haven't noticed."

Hermione's jaw dropped. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Ginny sighed. "Never mind. Just…forget it. Come on, are you going in now? It's starting to get cold."

"It already is cold," Hermione shot back and Ginny frowned, then shrugged. She stood up and brushed off her robes.

"Fine. See you at dinner."

"Yeah, sure," Hermione called after her as the other witch walked away. With an annoyed and somewhat wistful sigh, she looked back at the stack of papers and wished they would grade themselves.

"The worst part is," she said aloud, "she's right. And the longer I hide it the more likely it is that it will ruin everything."

"Hide what?" came a voice behind her, startling her and she lost hold of some of the papers. Draco's lean form folded down to sit beside her and he easily reached across her lap, catching hold of them. He handed them back to her with a smile on his face. "Wind's picking up. And those things aren't going to grade themselves," he added.

It was only annoyance at the fact that he'd read her mind yet again that made her cheeks hot with a blush, she told herself. She stared at him thoughtfully as the breeze blew his hair across his forehead. He reached up to push it back before she could and she wondered why that annoyed her, too. Lots of things annoyed her, in fact.

Just not all of them had to do with Draco.

"I'm hiding lots of things," she said honestly, gauging by the color of his eyes that he wouldn't pry this time. She hoped he never realized one could judge his honesty or his feelings by that clear grey. Lord knew he'd probably murder her if he thought she could read him like a book. She went on. "And no, they won't. Are you offering to help?"

"Yes, but not out here."

"It's a beautiful-"

"It is, but it's also getting cold. Whatever argument you just had with the Weasley twat won't be won if you catch your death."

"You're being a pig again."

"Am I? Oh, good, I was afraid it wasn't working."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Ok, you can help and I'll follow you indoors like a good little girl. Help me up."

He refrained from hoisting her in his arms like a sack of potatoes and running all the way to his dorm room with his prize and instead stood up again and reached out a hand. She took it and he pulled her up, propelling her into him for the briefest of moments.

That was his favorite part of helping her up, wherever they were- the seconds where she caught her footing, found her balance, all while pressed blissfully against him. It was almost like holding her in a normal embrace. And snogging on his bed with her straddling his lap didn't count, because that was always done in the privacy of a dorm room, with the bed curtains closed and locks on the doors.

Hermione pushed away too soon, clutching the papers to her chest and he held out a hand again, offering to carry them.

"I have them," she responded and he shrugged and motioned forward before falling into step beside her as they made their way back to the castle, hunched against the northern wind.

* * *

**AN: Is it picking up yet? Nah. But it will. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own any part of the HP franchise, all rights to scholastic, warner bros., J.K. Rowling, etc. I make no money off this fic.**

**AN: Here it is, part 3! Sorry for the long wait times, but that's life at the mo. Hope you enjoy it and Happy Holidays, loves. Cheers!**

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**The papers graded in half the time, Draco pushed his stack across the table towards Hermione and then sat back, propping his feet up and folding his hands behind his head. Feeling his hair flop down across his forehead again he ineffectually tried to blow it from his eyes and a second later he heard an undignified snort from Hermione, followed by the screech of a chair across the stone floor and footsteps. Sure enough, it was followed by the gentle touch of her fingers as she smoothed his bangs away.

"Why don't you just invest in pomade, Draco," she murmured, surprisingly tender with him for once, and he smirked.

"Any number of reasons, Hermione. Most of which would be beyond your brilliant mind. Too pedestrian for you, I'm afraid. Too gender-"

"Stop quoting jargon you read in a Muggle magazine and tell me what on earth you mean," she replied, keeping her hands where they were, curved about his cheeks, her eyes holding his gaze. He wanted to turn his head and kiss her palms.

Instead he responded, "One- I'm not the little boy who takes orders and colors within the lines anymore. Looking prim and proper is the farthest thing from my mind these days, when we're all just trying to get by and recover a little of our humanity."

The answer seemed to surprise her because the look in her eyes changed, grew a little less sympathetic and a little more empathetic and he knew without a doubt that whatever she was hiding from them, her real friends, it was because of the war. But that wasn't entirely fair, since everything these days was because of the war. It probably would continue that way until the next war had begun, the next cause taken up.

"And the second?" she prompted and Draco's smirk deepened as he brought his hands forward, cupping hers with his own before taking hold of them and forcefully turning them over to kiss her palms the way he'd wanted to, seconds ago.

"The second is that it makes impressionable witches like yourself want to touch me in order to tame my oh so straight and silken, impossible locks."

"Now that sounds like the real Draco," she muttered and tried to draw her hands away, only his grip had turned t steel in a flash and she was caught, standing over him, her hands in his. She narrowed her eyes.

"Let go."

"No," he replied and then he did turn his head and press a gentle kiss to one of her palms. He heard her breath catch and when she tried to tug her hands away a second time he let them go. As he'd suspected, she didn't move away. He lifted his eyes to hers and smirked again.

"You're-"

"Still a pig, yes, I know," he drawled. "And yet you're the one that starts this, every time."

"Starts what?"

"Snogging me senseless, like you're about to do," he explained, folding his hands behind his head again and contemplating her. She gazed at him balefully and crossed her arms before leaning back against the table. Damn. If she'd only cross her legs he'd be able to get a glimpse just up the inside of her soft, white thigh- her voice interrupted his lascivious thoughts.

"Much to your disappointment, I am not going to snog you senseless right now."

"No? What a pity. Got designs on some other helpless bloke today, then?"

"Draco…"

"Oh, right, you're seeing Weasley tomorrow, aren't you. Well, good luck not thinking of me when you're snogging him instead."

Hermione slapped him, though it lacked the sting of that slap Third Year. The slap that had sounded round the world. Well, just his world, actually, but that was enough. He didn't even bother covering the offended cheek and just continued to smirk as her eyes were suddenly glued to the reddening skin.

"Sorry," she tossed off and then spun away from him and back to her side of the table. He watched her sit down and sat up, leaning on the table.

"You know what? I think you actually might be."

"I am," she replied, not looking at him. Or rather, glancing up at his cheek and not the rest of him before turning back to the papers.

"So? You are sorry. How nice. Now can we discuss why you snog me and yet continue to go back to that idiot?"

"Ron is not an idiot," she said calmly, but paused afterwards and Draco pounced.

"Maybe not, but he has done something to earn your wrath. Something that makes you not feel quite so bad as you think you ought when you cheat on him."

"Thanks for pointing out my lack of good character, Draco," she said dryly. "It's so romantic of you. You're bound to get into my knickers that way."

"My wanting to take you to bed has nothing to do with this- you're the one who started this hellish foreplay, as I will continue to point out until you explain yourself. I just want to know why you're using me, of all the bloody wizards in this school who idolize you."

She glanced up at him again. "Aw, Draco. You idolize me? How sweet."

He leaned back again, disgruntled. This talk was not going how he'd intended.

"No, I don't. I was merely trying to illustrate a point."

"And failing miserably, as usual. Look, Draco," she said seriously, "I have no intention of discussing my motivations with you. You're good looking and you're present and I don't understand why this has to be about anything but us just…" Her voice trailed off as she searched for the appropriate words and Draco smirked.

"See? You can't even say what we are because we _aren't_. We're not fuck buddies, we're not friends with benefits, not really, because you won't let it get that far. And it's about bloody time you either tell me why, or…cut me loose!" he finished with an angry swipe of a hand through his hair.

Hermione sat back and stared at him, a strange look on her face and Draco felt his own skin redden with his frustration. He didn't care if it was mottled like a school boy- he still was a school boy, after all, and besides, it was high time she knew where he stood. That he wanted her all to himself, or at least be given a reason why he couldn't have her all to himself.

Actually…she was starting to look thoughtful and a little displeased. Oh, shit. What had he just said, exactly? Had he made himself clear or just demanded answers in his usual, dickish manner?

"So," she began in a rather chilly voice, "you think you deserve answers just because we're friends and I snog you from time to time? Have I got that right?"

"Hermione, be fair-"

"I know I haven't been fair," she said, cutting him off. "But life isn't very fair, is it? Even if I thought you deserved to know why I'm doing what I am, it's not my story to tell." Her voice was insanely bitter and Draco straightened up, sensing disaster on the horizon.

"Hermione," he began softly, contritely, but he was too late. She shook her head and held up a hand.

"No, you're completely right, Draco," she said. "But the question now is, if I stop toying with you are you still going to want to be friends, or is the only reason why we were friends in the first place because you wanted in my pants?"

"No," he replied. "That isn't it. I just wanted to be nice at first because…I'd never been nice before and now I could be. Now I have to be. I've got to start making up for things somewhere and I saw you at orientation and then later, on the train and at school and…"

"And you thought, what a great project for the new and improved me. I'll make friends with Hermione Granger and then all will be forgiven."

"That wasn't it!" he exclaimed, standing and Hermione flinched. His face contorted and he backed away.

"Did you just flinch? Did you think I was going to hurt you or something? Are you mental?"

"Yes, Draco, I'm completely mental!" she sniped. "And so what if I am? We all are! We've been through a war on opposite sides with the same people we went to bloody school with and now we're back in school with the same people and so if I'm just a little frightened by sudden movements, so what? And my best friends wouldn't even come back to school with me to recover properly, the morons- they went straight into Auror training, I mean, can you believe that? How mental is that? They went from one danger into another and I'm the stupid bookworm, stuck back at school, doing the sensible thing like I always did, except I'm not being sensible at all because I'm making out with their biggest enemy and liking it and cheating on my boyfriend because no matter how long it's been I still feel like he bloody owes me and missing my best friend because he was the only thing that made that fucking war any better!" she finished in a shrill, hysterical yell.

"Merlin, Hermione," Draco said, running a hand through his hair again. She crossed her arms and looked away, pouting as if it would keep tears away…except it did, so he had to hand that to her. No doubt as soon as he left she'd burst into tears, the poor thing.

"Look," he began after a long minute. "Hermione…that's why I wanted to be friends. All of that, what you just said…that's why. I saw that when I saw you and it felt the same to me and I just wanted to…"

"Help?" she offered glumly and he shook his head.

"No. I just wanted to be with it. Because it was how I felt- how I feel, too."

She scoffed. "We were on different sides."

"But we went through the same things. Betrayal. Anger. Fear. Death. The things I did, Hermione-" He stopped short and shuddered and she looked at him again, her eyes narrowed.

"So you thought we were kindred spirits."

"We all are," he replied, hating the bitterness in her voice, the snide disbelief she was dishing out so coolly and easily. "Every single one of us at this school have something in common now and it's what keeps us all from going crazy. We're all leaning on one another. Everyone except you. You're still trying to hide things and it's going to destroy you if you don't-"

"God, don't be so melodramatic," she replied as airily as possible. "Of course I'm hiding things. You think we're all being open with one another, that we all know the others' secrets? Don't be so-"

"Of course we all have secrets!" Draco exclaimed, frustrated. "But at least we can all admit it. You're the one who's trying to pretend everything is ok, that you don't have anything to hide, or if you do, that it's earth-shaking. It isn't, Hermione, trust me. Your bloody war scars aren't any more special than the rest of us because we've all seen something horrific, we've all-"

"Are you trying to say that what happened to me doesn't matter? That what I went through was nothing, then? That I should just get over it-"

"No! Merlin, you are the most frustrating- gods, Hermione, that is not what I mean and you bloody know it-"

"No, I don't!" she yelled, standing. "I don't know what the hell you mean and quite frankly I don't want to find out." One arm shot out and she pointed at the door. "Get out, you prick."

Draco went pale and he watched her closely. "Hermione, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it the way it sounded. Please, let me explain."

He didn't miss the irony of begging her to let him explain when he was the one who deserved explanations from her. She didn't relent, however.

"No. Maybe later if you're very, very lucky and I have more papers to grade. You seem to be useful for something, at least."

He frowned. "You know what, Hermione? As much as I like you, I think I'm going to have to pass. Use someone else. And when you're ready for a real friend, then you can come find me." He paused a moment, still watching her stony face, then grabbed his cloak and strode from the room.

She watched him go, her mouth working silently and then she burst out with, "Yeah? Thanks so much, Draco. You'll be at the top of my list, definitely!"

Draco heard her of course, just walking down the hall to his own room, but he forced himself not to respond. He would not turn this into a shouting match. He was just trying to help her, damn it. He just wanted her to take him seriously and what did he end up with? An even bigger mess than he'd started with. Idiot, he told himself. You big, barmy idiot. Hermione Granger can't be told anything. Not anymore. Thinks she's too good for lessons from her fellow students. Thinks she knows everything, now.

"She thinks she knows everything, doesn't she?" a voice to his right said, echoing his own thoughts and he turned to see Daphne Greengrass leaning in her own doorway.

"She's just-"

"If you tell me she's just a poor, wounded witch like the rest of us and jump to her defense one more time, Draco Malfoy, I will start a rumor that you're secretly pining for Zabini."

Draco grinned. "Why, Daphne. That's no secret."

She laughed and then nodded back into her room. "Want to come in for a bit? Pansy's up, visiting."

"Is that Draco?" called a voice from inside. A minute later the curious, pug-nosed girl who'd followed him about for six years poked her face around the edge of the door. She smiled broadly. "Hey, you! I'm just back from Aruba. Mum took me. I told her I just had to come and share the pictures with Daphne, just had to, I said, and she said sure, she didn't see why not, and so here I am! Isn't it lovely?"

"That you're here again? Always, Pans," Draco replied, smiling genuinely when he realized it really was lovely to see her. It was always nice to see his old mates happy and recovering. The way he wished Hermione were.

"So? Coming in?" Daphne asked again and Draco shrugged, sticking his hands in his pockets.

"Why not? We've an hour till dinner."

"That's the spirit!" Daphne said and Pansy clapped her hands delightedly.

"Excellent! Let me see what I have for you both, then- Mum let me buy so many trinkets, she really did- then again, she lets me buy a lot of things these days, I think she's trying to make up for, well, everything. Not that I mind…"

She continued to chatter as Daphne drew Draco inside and then shut the door and Hermione could swear she could still hear the annoying blonde's voice through the heavy oak. Finished eavesdropping and very frustrated, she pulled back inside her own room and slammed the door shut, then walked back to her desk and threw herself onto the chair. Well. Sat down heavily, anyhow.

Of course, instead of going to his room to sulk about his fight with herself, Draco would go on and forget all about it by being determinedly cheerful with old friends. Old girlfriends, at that. The bastard. Not that she cared, but honestly. How dare he try to psychoanalyze her that way and then imply that he was the best person to help her out and _then_ imply that- well, to be fair he hadn't really meant it the way it had sounded and she was well aware of that. But she'd just been so angry at his high-handedness that she'd blown her top. She hadn't been able to help herself.

What was worse, she'd done it more because she was mad at herself than at him. It wasn't his fault she was being a bitch to her friends, to her boyfriend. He was completely right, she'd started everything. And now she'd ended everything because she couldn't bear to be told just how unfair she was being.

God, she was a complete twat. You're a mess, Hermione, she told herself, then smiled wryly. The bitter tears followed just seconds later.


	4. Chapter 4

**I don't own HP at all and make no money off this fic, all rights to JK Rowling and WB and Scholastic and co. etc etc etc. :D**

**AN: Like? Don't like? Let me know. Again, sorry I'm being so nice and slow with this one, but there it is. Been watching a lot of H/Hr vids lately. Sigh. Love it. Don't worry, though. This will still be D/Hr in the end. :)**

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* * *

**Hermione gave a small start as the wispy blonde snuck up beside her and tucked an arm through hers.

"Luna!" she said with a gasp of laughter as she realized who it was. "You startled me."

"Did I? I'm sorry. It's only I saw you looking so grim I thought someone had better talk to you."

"Talk to me?" Hermione murmured as she continued to check her lists, making her way up and down the clusters of students gathered for the Hogsmeade trip.

"Oh, yes," Luna replied dreamily. "About the battawirgs."

That remark certainly caught Hermione's attention and she turned to Luna, quill still furiously checking off names. Luna reached over and grabbed hold of the moving hand and quill, stilling them and Hermione looked disgruntled.

"Luna, I do have a job-"

"They're all around you this morning. Quite a profusion of them. I'm a bit worried."

"About battawirgs."

"They're harbingers of bad luck," Luna said matter-of-factly.

"Are they. Look, Luna, I appreciate it, but I really need to- oh, here's McGonagall. Yes, Headmistress. Everyone is accounted for. Professor Sprout is about to be off with Hagrid."

Professor McGonagall gave Hermione a piercing look and then nodded. "Very good, Miss Granger. And don't forget to have a nice time, yourself." She favored Hermione with a small smile, one Hermione returned in some confusion, and then swept away, back into the school.

Hermione stood staring after her for a long moment until Luna tugged at her arm again.

"Shall we?" she asked and Hermione glanced about wildly for a second, as though she'd forgotten something, then laughed again- a strange, high pitched laugh.

"I suppose. Why, everyone else is already on their way. We'll be left behind," she remarked and sure enough, as Luna joined her in looking about, they could see the groups of students in the courtyard dwindling as everyone began making their way out of the gates and down the path.

Luna pressed her lips together and waved her free hand about Hermione's head.

"We really must do something about these," she said, but Hermione barely noticed. Her eyes, instead, were glued upon a tall, lithe blonde who was making his way alongside two lovely brunettes. Some yards away from him, an equally lithe redhead turned and gave Hermione and Luna a searching glance.

"Oh, there's Ginny. Come on, Hermione," Luna said. "Let's catch her up. She might have some thoughts on the battawirgs."

Hermione, despite thinking that was not entirely a good idea, nodded anyhow and allowed herself to be dragged along.

Ginny, for her part, seemed willing to just forget about their argument- if it could even be called that- from the day before, although her manner remained decidedly cool. That was alright with Hermione; she didn't particularly want to share any confidences or close conversations with the other witch if she were only going to view everything she said with suspicion and embitterment. It wasn't Hermione's fault, after all, that Harry appeared to have lost interest in Ginny.

It wasn't.

It was just that he'd grown up. They'd all grown up. And all their little school crushes from before had disappeared with that immaturity. It had nothing to do with her, not really…was what she told herself, anyhow. It didn't help her sleep at night, though. Nothing much did. Not when her little school crush on Ron had disappeared with the way of Harry's feelings for Ginny. Yet here she was, dating him, letting him make love to her, and all the while she was thinking of someone else.

Draco had helped for a while, the daft boy. But then he'd had to go and demand…equality from her, like he deserved her respect. Well, which he did. Everyone deserved respect. But it was hard, damn it, to award it to someone like Draco with such casual efficiency, like he applied it to everybody. She was starting to think he was a much nicer person than she was. Which meant that he was right to demand her respect. But she couldn't treat him with the same equality she did her friends- well, that was the problem, really. She _had_ been treating him like she treated them. She kept the same secret from him that she kept from everyone else. The secret that wouldn't be a secret for long.

Blast.

She tripped and Ginny reached out a hand and righted her without thinking until they were left standing there awkwardly, Ginny's hand upon her arm and Hermione's face pale and guilt stricken.

"Ginny, I'm sorry," she blurted out. Ginny didn't say a word, just waited for the rest of their group to wander out of earshot before she lifted her hand away and calmly smoothed her hair down beneath her hat.

"Yes, I know," Ginny finally said. Hermione searched her face.

"You do?" she said uncertainly and Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Don't look like that."

"How?"

"Like you think I can't possibly really understand because I'm not as smart as you!" Ginny replied, stamping a foot, surprising them both. Hermione's face fell.

"Gin…" she tried to begin, but couldn't finish. Instead she flailed her hands, as though she might grasp the right words from the air around them.

"Look, we're almost at Hogsmeade. Let me tag along on your little double date and we'll call it even."

"Double date?" Hermione repeated and Ginny frowned.

"Yeah. The one with Ron and Harry you've got planned?"

"Ginny, honestly."

"Well, what would you call it?" Ginny pressed, her voice cold but her eyes begging Hermione to take it as the joke she didn't quite know how to tell properly.

Hermione started to speak, but closed her mouth again with a thoughtful expression upon her face.

"Yeah, exactly," Ginny filled in, relief in her voice. "Now come on. Don't want to keep them waiting."

Then, as Luna had a mere half hour before, Ginny slipped her arm through Hermione's and propelled her forward down the path, those last pesky yards into Hogsmeade.

* * *

Ron stood up from the bench they'd been waiting at, dusting the snow from the seat of his pants and waving enthusiastically at Hermione. Harry finally noticed his friend's motion and it seemed to jerk him from whatever other world he'd been inhabiting. He swung about abruptly to see whose attention Ron was trying to attract.

"Where is she?" he asked and there was a desperation in his voice that Ron couldn't help but notice.

He noticed it alright, but he deliberately misinterpreted it.

"I know, mate. Sorry, Hermione didn't tell me she was coming. Thought I didn't want to get your hopes up."

"Who?" Harry asked, dispelling that illusion and Ron winced.

"Ginny, Harry. Looks like she decided to come along after all."

"Oh, well…that's alright," Harry said and if he was a bit distracted, Ron genuinely couldn't tell anymore. It was getting difficult to tell anything about Harry, period. A second later he was waving as enthusiastically as Ron had been, a smile upon his careworn face. "Hermione!" he shouted, his voice sounding hoarse and strained. "Hermione!"

Hermione glanced up to see Ron and Harry standing there, welcoming her, and she nearly stumbled, but Ginny kept her moving steadily.

"Can't avoid him forever," she murmured and Hermione nearly froze again.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me, Hermione. You can't avoid Harry forever. Whatever happened between you two. It just looks worse than it probably really is when you go on avoiding him the way you have been."

It was more than Hermione wanted to hear, but she couldn't deny the sense in Ginny's words. Except she could, and she did.

"It looks worse?" she echoed thoughtfully, that strange laugh sounding and Ginny pressed her lips together.

"Yes," she said. "So don't be stupid."

"It's a bit late for that," Hermione replied, but she held her head up and continued moving forward.

"It probably is," Ginny agreed, though for the wrong reasons. Then they were within arms reach of the boys and everyone was greeting one another awkwardly.

Awkwardly, because Harry didn't even bother waiting for Hermione to greet Ron with a kiss as the red-haired wizard seemed to expect. Instead, he smoothly inserted himself between them and stole the embrace that was meant for his best friend from the girl who loved him enough to abandon _her_ best friend.

Things were very mixed up.

They were, but it didn't stop Harry from enjoying that embrace. Or from holding her that second longer than was entirely necessary. Minute. Whatever. It was fine either way, because it wasn't like he and Hermione had seen each other these last few months, or talked, or anything like that. So a long hug was justifiable and he was going to take those moments where he could, damn it.

"Harry," Hermione sort of gasped when he tightened his grip on her and he smiled into her shoulder and closed his eyes.

"I've missed you, Hermione," he mumbled around her hair and she seemed to relax into his embrace a bit then. Just a bit. Outside of their mingled heartbeats and breaths, Harry could hear Ginny and Ron shifting on their feet in the background, could hear their own breath catching as they waited for the friendly hello to end. Well too bad. They were going to be waiting a damned long time.

Or they would've, if Ron hadn't chosen that moment to slap Harry heartily on the back and make a stupid remark.

"Knew you'd missed her, Harry," Ron said, oblivious laughter in his voice. "Told you, didn't I? Said you'd want to come along this time."

He sounded so pleased with himself that when Hermione gave a guilty start within his arms, it was enough to make Harry pull back. Was Hermione crying? Harry felt his heart give that strange little leap it had started up over that last, long winter as he watched Hermione rub her fingers beneath her eyes and then turn readily to Ron's open arms.

"I missed you too, Harry," she murmured just before turning her head into Ron's shoulder.

That shouldn't have hurt as much as it did, but there it was. The mess of his life. Harry sighed and nodded and then turned to Ginny, unwilling to watch Ron kiss away Hermione pain when he had no right to. Well. That was debatable, he supposed.

"Ginny," he said, his voice hoarse with emotion. Ginny, just like her brother before her, mistook that emotion for something else. Although the suspicion he'd seen sneak across her face was real enough, he knew she a girl and desperate for affection and willing to accept whatever lies he'd give her, if that was what he wanted. He snuck a glance at Hermione and Ron, still lip locked, and turned back to Ginny, pasting a smile across his face, well aware the effect must be terrible to see.

"I missed you, too," he offered and the smile that flit across her cheeks was almost as terrible as his own.

"Yeah, right," she said and her sarcasm took him by surprise. But a second later she seemed to rethink her response and crossed her arms, clearly uncomfortable as he was. "I really have missed you," she admitted.

"I know," he replied. If he'd been the same boy he was before the war, he might've apologized next. But he wasn't.

So he didn't.

Instead, he and Ginny turned to a freshly kissed Ron and Hermione and waited for direction. Then the sad little quartet headed for the nearest pub, to get in out of the cold.

* * *

Draco watched all this happen from a great distance and he thought that a number of things suddenly made a lot of sense. Daphne tugged on his arm and he looked over at her.

"Yeah?" he said inelegantly and she laughed.

"Don't stare too long, you idiot. They'll notice. Now, Astoria has abandoned us for her friends so it's just you and me."

"No, it's not," he said, still not looking away from the golden trio plus one.

"What do you mean?"

"He means we agreed to come out and freeze our arses off waiting for you lot to meet us inside a pub, like civilized people."

"Blaise! Theo!" Daphne exclaimed and gave the two a hug and a kiss each.

"Oo, have you swung the lovely Greengrass, then, Draco?"

"Given up on that smelly old Granger?"

"She's hardly smelly," Draco muttered, finally tearing his eyes away from the witch in question. "Unless floral and citrus is smelly."

"If it's overdone," Theo said thoughtfully.

"Oh, please, don't start with your beauty lectures now, for Merlin's sake. Let's get inside."

"But Blaise, love, you look so delectable when you shiver that way."

Daphne wrinkled her nose and turned to Draco. "Do they go on like this much?"

"Constantly," Draco replied firmly. "So we'd better get a table with access for a quick exit to the loo."

"I see. Vomit often around them?"

"All the time," Draco said cheerfully and Daphne laughed and wrapped her arms around one of his, positively hanging on him. He grinned wolfishly down at her and Blaise cast a thoughtful glance over the two of them.

"Is that the game now?" he pondered and Draco looked up at him.

"Is it working?"

Theo looked over at the golden trio plus one and just saw a particularly bushy head of hair turning away quickly, a wistful, pitiful look upon her face.

"Oh, Draco, my dear, devilish man. It's working. You may want to try kissing her next. That would positively send Granger up in smoke."

"I want her in one piece, Nott," Draco said and Blaise laughed as Daphne and Theo both pulled faces.

"Come on, then. In we all go, after them like good little Slytherins. Our work here is clearly not done," the dark Italian murmured, shepherding them all after the other group. "Besides, you all have had a recent visit from one Miss Parkinson and I want all the details of her scandalous trip to Aruba. Her mother told _my _mother that…"

The door of the pub shut after them all and outside on the street, snow continued to drift to the ground softly, quite undisturbed by the storm of emotions in its midst.

* * *

**AN: And that is chapter 4. Please let me know what you think. Or not. Makes no never mind to me! *dances away***


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I own no part of the HP franchise, all rights to JK, WB and Scholastic, etc and so forth, I make no profit here.**

**AN: So, the plot develops a bit. No, of course this is not an original idea or au, or whatever, but I'm enjoying trying my hand at it. (And yes, it will be Dramione, and there is drama ahead.) And I have to share what the inspiration for this fic was - a youtube vidder named alli6 made the vid titled Harry/Hermione - "She's pulling me through..." (available with the youtube ref DO4JaLLezeY). I so enjoyed it and the idea of it that I was inspired to write a D/Hr fic based on the idea of what happens to her after she and Harry get too close and she's trying to move past it all. I hope you're all following my logic in the story so far and enjoying it. And go check out the vid, if you like H/Hr, too! **

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Harry tried not to stare at Hermione too much as they sat across the table from one another, enjoying Butterbeers. After all, Ron and Ginny were at the table too and that would've been bad form at best. At worst…his sidelong and sudden glances could've been misconstrued very easily. Well, not misconstrued, really. But he wanted people to think they were misconstruing things. Or Hermione did. Or something like that.

All he wanted was a minute alone with her, damn it, and it looked like-

Ron stood up and ran a hand over his hair uneasily. "Well, mate, I'll just go get us some refills, order some food- how's that sound? Ginny?"

His sister glanced up at him, irritated. "What?" she asked. Ron raised his brows at her and shrugged his shoulders and made a helpless, confused gesture. Ginny scrunched up her nose. "What's wrong with you?" she asked and Hermione, who'd seen the entire charade and was looking for an excuse to leave the table, jumped up.

"You need help, Ron? Here, let me come with you." Ron's eyes widened and he glanced quickly at Harry, who was now scowling, and Ginny, who was rolling her eyes. He made a decision.

"No, that's alright, Hermione," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder and firmly shoving her back into her seat, much to her surprise. "You stay. Ginny, didn't you mention you wanted to ask about that new dinner special they added to the menu?"

Ginny refused to help Ron at all. "What new dinner special?"

"Ginny…"

She sulked up at him and he frowned and did the eyebrow-shrug-gesture thing again, a little more animatedly. Ginny gave a large, aggrieved sigh, then turned back to Harry and Hermione and pasted a look of interest on her face.

"Oh, he's right. I did want to go ask about that mysterious new dinner special. Please, excuse me for a minute. We'll be right back."

Hermione opened her mouth as though to protest, but Ron had already grabbed his sister's arm and dragged her away before she could say a word. She half started from her seat only to have Harry take her hands again, staying her. She shut her mouth, her brow furrowed, and settled back down. She didn't look at Harry, but neither did she remove her hands from his. He considered it a small victory.

"Alone at last," he quipped, trying to make a joke of it and dispel the awkward silence. Hermione pressed her lips together in displeasure.

"What is he thinking, honestly?" she complained, still staring after Ron. Harry gave a sigh to match Ginny's.

"It's not his fault, Hermione," he murmured, squeezing her hands.

She finally turned her head to look at him. "What do you mean, it's not his fault? Of course it's his fault, I can't believe this," she finished in a rush.

"No, Hermione, I mean it really isn't. I asked him if he could give us a little time."

Hermione's eyes widened in shock and she suddenly leaned towards him, just like old times. Except she was probably angrier at him now than before. Not that having Hermione angry at him was anything new, but damn it, all she seemed to be was angry with him these days. He was getting tired of it.

"Before you ask why I'd do something so mental, hear me out. He knows we need to talk, that there's something going on, or something happened to split us up this way and he's all for a reconciliation."

Hermione leaned back, stunned, and with a gasping laugh looked away again, blinking rapidly. "I don't believe this," she repeated. "A reconciliation, really. Like he'd want that if he knew the truth."

Harry shrugged. "Ok, so he doesn't know the whole truth, but like I said, it was my idea. So don't be mad at him, alright? He's just trying to help me out." They were both quiet for a moment and Harry sighed again, decided on a change of subject. "I suppose you've heard about…"

"Your training?" Hermione inserted in that uncanny way she had of reading his mind. She looked at him seriously, squeezed his hands right back. "Ginny told me. Harry, you can't keep on that way."

"I probably should've come back for Eighth Year," he admitted.

"Oh, Harry," Hermione murmured. "You know it isn't too late. Being who you are, I'm sure McGonagall would let you…"

"It is too late for that, though, isn't it?" he asked, staring at her pointedly. She frowned and glanced away, finally tugging her hands free of his.

"It's too late for a lot of things," she whispered. "It was too late the minute it happened at all."

"Hermione," Harry mumbled, his voice strangled. She looked at him again and her expression was so sad he nearly reached for her hands again, except he knew she wouldn't tolerate it. "I'm sorry," he said. "I keep coming back to it. I can't help it. You just left me, without any explanation, just expected me to run back into Ginny's arms after all those months? Hermione. You know me. You know I'm not like that, you know it wasn't like that for me."

"What do you want me to say?" she said softly, furtively, wiping at her eyes and nose suspiciously. "This is hardly the place for this discussion, Harry."

"Then come with me right now," he said, "somewhere else. Anywhere else. Because it's time we had this discussion, whether you want to or not. Don't I deserve that? Weren't we best friends?"

That got a rise out of her and suddenly it was her clutching at his hands and she was barely trying to conceal her tears. "Oh, Harry, we are best friends!"

"Are we? Because it doesn't feel that way right about now and it hasn't done for the last five months."

She looked a million things at hearing his words: guilty, grief-stricken, but most of all she looked frightened. She held his hands tightly, rubbing them between hers as if she suddenly couldn't get enough of touching him after living without him for so long.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I'm so sorry. Yes, Harry. I'll go with you, where we can talk. I'll go. I'm sorry."

Harry wondered why he didn't feel any triumph at all at her concession. He'd wanted this, after all – a reconciliation, the chance to be alone with her, to talk, to sort things out – but instead of being happy, he just felt like a fool and a wanker for forcing her into a corner the way he had. Here was the witch he loved, his best friend, crying her eyes out and all because of him.

Still, fair was fair and they really did need to have a talk, where no curious ears could overhear or redheads could get jealous and angry. Fortunately, Harry had cleared it with Ron that if he and Hermione disappeared suddenly on the Hogsmeade trip that he wasn't to worry because they were just talking things over, the way they'd needed to for quite some time. Ron, bless him, had agreed to the whole plan, despite his doubts about Harry's mental health. After all, he hadn't been there the entire time last year. He knew there were some things Harry and Hermione had gone through together that he would never understand, and that fact inclined him to be lenient when it came to their relationship, regardless of suspicious hugs and longing sighs and angry outbursts.

So when Ginny ran up to him at the bar and hissed that Harry and Hermione were nowhere in sight, he simply shushed her and told her to eat her lunch and leave them to it. Ginny looked like she might cry at that, but surprisingly, she did what she was told. The two of them proceeded to morosely share a plate of bangers and mash and not long after graduated from Butterbeer to something a little bit stronger, at Ginny's insistence.

* * *

Draco craned his neck in order to see around a pillar and felt Daphne smack his arm. He looked back at her, disgruntled. "What?" he asked. "It's not like those two are keeping us updated on the action," he grumbled, nodding his head towards the other side of the table, where Blaise and Theo sat across from them. The men had their arms wrapped around one another and were in the middle of merely attempting to snog each other senseless. Daphne snorted.

"That's true enough," she admitted, "but you really don't want to be too obvious, do you?"

Draco frowned. "You may have a point."

"Of course I have a point," she replied. She smirked. "So let me be the one to look around, right?"

Draco grinned. "Where have you been all my life?"

"Dating other men, thank Merlin," she joked, then patted his arm. "Wait here. I'm going to scout the situation. Back in a tic."

Draco nodded and turned back to his drink only to find Blaise and Theo had taken up half the table in the interim. He gagged and stared resolutely at his mug a moment, decided that wasn't working, and got up.

"Daphne, darling, wait for me!" he called as he went after her, escaping his sickeningly in love friends. He caught up to her at the bar and paused at her side, glancing about wildly for a moment, completely unsure of what exactly he was looking for. Oh, right. Hermione. He stopped himself and looked to Daphne, who was staring politely at her hands, her head cocked to one side.

"Daph?" he asked and she gave her head a slight shake. He looked past her to see Weasley and his sister staring off into space, matching frowns upon their faces. Ah ha, so she was eavesdropping. He scooted in closer to her.

"Anything?" he asked and she shook her head again and one shoulder twitched irritably. She looked up at him long enough to convey the message that he ought to shut up and he glanced away, sulking and waited along with her for the pair of gingers to give up something useful.

"It's been nearly an hour," Ginny muttered, clanking her fork against an empty plate. Draco perked up only to have Daphne twitch at him again. He settled back down and waited for Ron to respond. Sure enough, her brother sighed and tried to placate her.

"And they have a lot to talk about, don't they?"

"I guess they do," Ginny retorted. She gave her brother a sidelong glance. "Doesn't it bother you, though?"

"What?" Ron asked, bringing his mug to his lips.

"That Harry's in love with her," Ginny said matter-of-factly, if a bit sadly, and Ron spat out half his mouthful.

"Ginny!"

"What? It isn't true?"

"Harry's got issues, Gin, but he's mad about you."

"No, he isn't. Oh, come on, Ron," she went on, cutting her brother off as he opened his mouth again. "He's been ignoring me as long as she's been ignoring him. And then she always gets so touchy about him – you've noticed it too! Something is going on with them, it isn't normal!"

"Gin, will you keep your voice down? Look, all I know is that however they feel about one another, Hermione is with me and I'm damned lucky to even have this much of her."

"Oh, what's that supposed to mean? She's lucky to have you! You've been stuck to her like glue for ages. Of course she's with you, you won't bloody let her alone."

Ron paled slightly and looked extremely uncomfortable. "Yeah, right Gin. Come off it."

Ginny snorted into her drink. "Come off what? Hermione couldn't get rid of you if she tried; what other choice does she have at this point? After everything you two went through together…"

Ron shook his head. "Gin, she and Harry went through a hell of a lot more than I – wait a minute. You mean…you don't know?"

"Don't know what?"

Ron swallowed thickly. "I…listen, Ginny, I wasn't…well, what I'm trying to say is…"

Ginny took another swig of her drink. "Spit it out, for Merlin's sake."

He pushed his shoulders back and turned to face her. "Yeah, well, the thing is, Ginny…I didn't stick to her."

Ginny turned her head slowly and when she spoke next, her voice was as icy as her expression. "Ron. What did you do?"

He glanced about and lowered his voice. "I left them, Ginny. I thought you knew that."

"Left them."

Ron looked increasingly uncomfortable. "Yeah, I left them. Last year, on the hunt for…you know."

Ginny set her mug down heavily and stared at him outright. "You what?"

"Gin, don't make me repeat it…you heard me," Ron hissed, glancing about again. Ginny's hand shot out and she gripped his wrist hard, so hard he winced. "Bloody hell, Ginny, let go!"

"They never…neither of them ever said a word about it."

"Yeah, well, they wouldn't, would they? But it's not like I asked them not to tell, it just sort of happened that way. After I came back and everything else that happened, there didn't seem to be a good time to bring it up and then there wasn't a point because everything went back to normal…"

"Back to normal? You think they just got over it?" Ginny laughed harshly and let go of his wrist. "I don't believe this." She looked at him sharply. "How long?"

"Huh?" Ron glanced up from inspecting his wrist.

"I said, how long? When you left them, how long were you gone?"

"I dunno, months, I guess."

"You don't know? You don't know!" Ginny practically shrieked and Ron held his hands up, hushing her.

"Ginny, come on…the days, they ran together back then. It was a mess, you know that. Could you honestly tell me what happened when last year?"

"Yes!" she hissed at him. "I could! I could give you every day, every hour that I was apart from Harry! Every time I was tortured, or punished – how could I forget those things?"

"Alright, calm down, Gin, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way, it's just that…we spent weeks out there with nothing happening, you know. Stretches of days of nothing but walking and casting protective spells and sitting, worrying, carrying that damned Horcrux…it was hell, Ginny. So yeah, I lost track of the time. I lost track of myself." He took a deep breath. "I reckon that's why I left, in the end. But I came back!"

"You came back," Ginny said derisively. She stood up. "How sweet. Aren't you the hero. No, stay here, Ron. I don't have anything more to say to you right now and if you follow me I'm afraid I end up hexing my own brother."

"Ginny, why are you so angry?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

Ron frowned and Ginny shook her head. When she smiled, it was without mirth and the curve of her lips failed to reach the corners of her eyes.

"Something happened between them while you were gone."

Ron sighed with relief. "Right, that. Of course something happened. Weeks of something happened. They had to deal with all that stress and danger on their own. I know it strengthened their friendship, but I don't see what the big deal is…"

Ginny shook her head again. "Ron, you're brilliant sometimes. You've really changed a lot. But right now…is not one of your shining moments." She dug out a few coins and put them on the bar next to her drink. "Look, I really am leaving. If you feel like helping me look for those two, then feel free to come with me. But don't bother trying to talk me out of it. An hour is more than enough time for whatever it is Harry, at least, feels he needs to say to Hermione. And Hermione…" Ginny closed her eyes in momentary frustration, then turned and left the bar. Ron stared after her for a second, then placed some money of his own on the bar, shoved his hands in his pockets, and hurried out after his sister.

Draco and Daphne immediately turned and became engrossed with one another as the siblings passed them. The minute they were gone, Daphne pulled away from Draco, who removed his arm from about her shoulders. Draco turned to stare after the Weasleys, who had paused outside the door to secure their scarves and gloves, and Daphne in turn stared at him.

"What do you want to do?" she asked, not bothering to bring up the other topic. Not yet, at least. Draco didn't answer right away and she prompted him. "If we follow them, they'll probably lead us to Potter and Granger."

"Yes, but they'll also break up whatever is going on with those two."

"And you want to know what exactly is going on with them?"

"Of course. The more I know, the easier my plan of action will be."

Daphne managed to smile. "So what's the plan right now, then?"

Draco thought for a moment. "Follow them a little ways…then confound them and send them off in the opposite direction."

"Is that entirely legal?"

At that, Draco turned and slung an arm about her shoulders again. "My dear Daphne, does it really matter?"

Daphne smirked and a moment later the two Slytherins left the pub, following the Weasley siblings at a safe distance.

* * *

**AN: I hope things are becoming more clear. Confrontations and revelations are coming, but the drama will be far from over! **


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, I see nothing! No, really, no profit made, all rights to JK and co.**

**AN: Oo, another chapter! I hope you enjoy it. Are you? Still enjoying this story, that is? *taps on glass***

* * *

They walked close to one another, close enough to be holding hands, yet they didn't. Both pairs of gloved hands were tucked in their respective owners' pockets, safe from public displays of affection in a prying world. Hermione's eyes watched the ground as they went, while Harry kept his head up, his eyes on the horizon. It was an odd reversal for the pair and as Draco and Daphne watched them, the Weasleys already safely dispatched, Draco could feel his fellow conspirator brimming with questions…which was only fair, really. He was, too – after all, for the entire time they'd been following the subdued couple, neither had said a single word. Occasionally Harry would notice a particularly deep snow drift and just put out a hand to warn Hermione, but he was careful not to touch her and she didn't acknowledge his help aside from a quick glance to his face. The entire spectacle was downright weird, and Draco knew weird – he'd been a Death Eater.

Harry finally came to a stop and Hermione looked up just in time to catch herself from bumping into him. Their eyes met, they reached for one another at the same time – and stopped at the same time.

"Well," Hermione said, glancing away as quickly. "We're alone. Not a soul to…see us."

Harry looked at her quickly and found his gaze arrested by her own. She saw right through him, she always had. He reached for her again and she stepped away.

"Hermione," he choked out. "Please. Just…let me hold you. I don't want to do anything more, I swear."

Hermione exploded.

"Did it ever occur to you, Harry Potter, that it was never you I didn't trust?" she hissed and Harry stared at her, unsure of how to respond. She frowned and wrapped her arms around herself. "It's cold," she muttered and turned away from him.

He moved up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, snugging her into the curve of his body, into his warmth.

"It's never cold when I'm with you," he murmured. She tried to shake him off and he held her fast. "But, Hermione…it's been dreadfully cold these last months."

She hung her head and let him hold her, closed her eyes helplessly against the fact that it was true. Things hadn't been the same…but she couldn't let them change completely, either. She'd mucked things up too badly for that, now.

"It's not your fault," he said, as if he could read her mind. She shivered and he held her closer. " I could've fought for you, then. When Ron came back…when it was all over and you told me to forget you. When you ran away. I didn't do anything to stop you."

"That's because you knew I was right," she whispered. "We came together because we were all we had, but the minute Ron came back, I knew…"

"Then why did it take you so long to forgive him?"

She let out a bitter laugh. "Who says I have?"

Harry let go of her at that and slowly turned her around to face him. He looked at her closely.

"So you're going to hurt both of us more by being with someone you can't even forgive?"

"Harry…"

"Hermione, I love you. I don't know if I've ever not loved you."

Hermione caught her breath and looked up at him, her eyes wide. "Harry, you can't mean that. It's been months."

"What, and you think it was us sleeping together that made me love you? Hermione, Hermione…don't you know what you mean to me? Don't you have any idea, after all this time?"

Then Harry Potter kissed Hermione Granger in the solitude of a snow covered forest.

Well. In the relative solitude of a snow covered forest, considering Draco and Daphne were looking on from just yards away, concealed by greenery and a convenient outcropping of rocks. Daphne's jaw dropped as they looked upon the scene and Draco quickly covered her mouth with one hand, silencing her surprised – and delighted – laughter.

When Hermione broke the kiss and ran away, leading Harry further down the path, Draco finally let Daphne go and glared at her.

"Something about that strike you as particularly funny?"

"Oh, come on, you can't see the humor in it? Weasley leaves Potter and Granger alone on their journey last year, Potter and Granger take the opportunity to use one another, Potter falls in love and then Granger leaves him to go back to Weasley, all the while not telling anyone what happened? It's like…it's like a terrible romance novel! It's like all the gossip people spread about those three that was never true, and yet…jackpot! Oh, I love it!"

"You know," Draco drawled, "it's suddenly occurred to me that maybe I'm not nearly as good a Slytherin as I ought to be."

"Why? Because you don't find it hilarious? Oh, right." She stopped short and eyed him, her lips curled up in disgust. "You want to date her. Well. This is going to throw a wand in those plans, isn't it?"

Draco rolled his eyes and reached for her hand, standing and dragging her to her feet.

"Shut up and come on. They're getting away!" He took off, Daphne hurrying along behind him, trying to keep up and wondering how she'd gotten involved in such a stupid scheme.

Oh, yeah. She was in Slytherin.

* * *

Ginny and Ron stopped and looked at one another.

"Why have we been walking in circles for ten minutes?" Ginny asked.

"And why haven't we found them yet?" Ron asked.

Ginny pursed her lips and fury filled her eyes. "Someone spelled us," she said and Ron stepped away from her as a precaution.

"Well, what do you want to do now? Maybe if we wait for them back at the Three Broomsticks…"

"We are not waiting for those two _anywhere_," Ginny hissed. "We are going to go find them, _now_."

She took off in the direction of the path into the woods, towards the Shrieking Shack, and after a moment of indecision, Ron shrugged and followed her. He didn't really believe her crazy theories about Harry and Hermione, but still…this was supposed to be a double date and Hermione was supposed to be going out with him. It was only fair they got in a little time, too. With hope in his heart once more, he marched after his little sister…being careful to keep a safe distance behind her.

* * *

Unfortunately for Draco, he'd been in such a hurry to catch up to Harry and Hermione that he hadn't been even attempting to conceal his and Daphne's progress through the underbrush. Now, as they approached the other couple, he saw Hermione hold up a hand to Harry to silence him in order to listen better. Instantly, he skidded to a stop, crashing into a tree and taking Daphne with him. With a rather loud series of oofs, groans, and cracking branches, they rolled to a halt just feet away from the astonished couple.

"Well," Daphne said, sitting up and dusting herself off, "that was less than brilliant."

"Malfoy!" Harry growled, immediately drawing his wand.

"Draco!" Hermione gasped, immediately grabbing hold of Harry's wand arm.

Draco carefully stood up, straightened his clothes, and looked from Hermione to Harry and back again.

"Granger," he said, with a slight lift of his chin. If looks could kill, he thought, avoiding Harry's gaze. He reached a hand down and helped Daphne up. "Well," he said into the awkward silence, "nothing like a brisk jog through the woods to get the blood moving."

Daphne snorted in an unladylike manner and Draco jabbed her in the side with his elbow. He received his own to jab to the side for his efforts and grimaced. Hermione goggled. Harry continued to glare.

"Malfoy," he began slowly, "why don't you get the hell away from us." Then, as an afterthought, he tossed off, "Please."

Draco smirked. "I don't think so, actually. No, Daph and I were just out for a walk together. It's a big forest. You don't own it, do you, Potter? Is that why we're not allowed?" At Harry's swiftly darkening brow, he went on, knowing for certain now that he had a death wish. "Care to show me the property lines so we know where to keep away? Or is it just possible that it isn't the forest you think you own?"

"What is that supposed to mean, Malfoy?"

"Harry, please," Hermione murmured, tugging on his arm. He shook her away and her face paled. She stepped back from him and looked to Draco, but he was too focused on Harry to notice.

"You know exactly what it means, Potter. Think you own Granger, don't you? Just because she took pity on you?"

"Draco!" Hermione hissed, anger clouding her brow. "How dare you!" That certainly caught his attention and he turned to her.

"How dare…really, Hermione? After everything? You're going to stand there and pretend I don't have the right to interfere when you keep toying with me?"

"What the hell are you talking about? Hermione? What is he saying?"

Hermione backed away from them both this time and was looking between her two very angry lovers while Daphne stood by, arms crossed and looking very bored, when another sound burst on the clearing.

"Oh, god," Hermione moaned and the others turned to see Ron and Ginny approaching, their flaming hair and loud, inquisitive voices giving them away.

"Hermione!" Ron called, halting suddenly as he saw the strange quartet.

"Harry?" Ginny cried, stopping only because Ron grabbed hold of her arm.

"Ron," Hermione acknowledged, her voice trailing off awkwardly.

"Ginny…" Harry muttered.

"Yes, and I'm Draco and this is Daphne. There, we're all acquainted," Draco went on, rolling his eyes. He felt Harry's keen glare and Hermione's keener gaze and turned back to them. "What?" he asked and beside him, Daphne snorted again. "You know, you're really ruining the moment," he informed her and she lifted her brows.

"Am I? My apologies! Please, do go on," she said and they smirked at one another.

"What is wrong with you?" Hermione whispered fiercely in an aside and Draco leaned towards her.

"You," he replied and she flushed all the way to the roots of her hair. He smiled and looked back at everyone else. "Yes, well. I think we can take questions now," he announced and Harry looked like he genuinely wanted to murder someone.

"Hermione, Harry…we just thought we'd, ah, come and find you. You were gone a while," Ron explained and Ginny tried to go to Harry, but Ron's grip on her arm tightened. She pasted a smile on her face instead.

"Yes, we just…thought we'd catch you up."

"So, uh, have you talked?" Ron asked and Hermione glanced at Harry quickly.

"Yes," she began only to have Harry move in front of her boldly, cutting her off.

"No," he said. "We haven't. Could you all just –"

Hermione cut him off, sensing that he'd reached his breaking point, that he was ready to confess everything, to ruin everything. Well, that was too bad. She wasn't ready for any of that, not yet. Maybe not ever. Wasn't that why she'd ended things with him in the first place, because she couldn't handle what they'd done, regardless of being in love, or thinking they were in love?

"Just let us have a moment more?" she asked. "We were in the middle of something."

Ginny gave a short laugh. "In the middle of something that happens to include Malfoy and Greengrass?"

"Well, I…" Hermione began, at a loss for words. Harry stepped in again, undeterred by Hermione's attempts at diversion.

"Could you all just listen for a minute? I have something to say."

The clearing went silent and everyone looked at Harry, waiting expectantly, dreading the next words out of his mouth, hoping for the best…expecting the worst. Hermione stared at Harry, her eyes wide, utterly terrified. She felt a movement beside her and looked up to find Draco had moved next to her, the only person in the clearing not watching Harry because his eyes were on her. She met his gaze and knew, though it was wrong of her to ask, that she was begging him to help her.

Miraculously, he did...although she likely wouldn't consider it helping until later, when she no longer wanted to kill him.

Slipping an arm about her shoulders, he pulled her flush with him and cleared his throat and his voice cut across whatever Harry had been about to reveal.

"What Potter is trying to tell you is that Hermione and I have been seeing one another." He looked directly at Ron. "And we have been for some time now. Sorry about that, Weasley."

Three jaws dropped and Daphne looked more amused than ever. Then sound erupted into the clearing once more.

* * *

**AN: Well...that was fun. :D**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own this stuff and make no money here, all rights to JK and co. How many times do I have to say it?**

**AN: Oo, another chapter. How thrilling. What do you think will happen? Will Draco and Hermione end up together despite everything? Yeah, probably. But that's still a few chapters away. Buahahaha!**

* * *

Draco was fairly certain he was going to die, from the way every wand but two were suddenly pointed directly at him.

"Get your hands off her," Harry growled. He was growling an awfully lot, Draco noticed. He wondered if Potter had been bitten by a werewolf recently.

"Harry, mate, what's going on?" Ron said, his voice low as he tried to keep it steady, tried to keep from shouting the way Ginny was.

"I knew it!" she was yelling. "I knew there was something going on between you and that prick! Hermione, for Merlin's sake, what is wrong with you? How could you do this to Ron?"

"Does this mean I'm not needed anymore?" Daphne thought to ask. "Because if it does, I'd like to leave."

Draco would've replied, but Ginny retrained her wand on Daphne. "You were in on this, weren't you?"

Daphne pretended she was invisible and deigned not to answer. Draco felt a twitch beneath his arm and looked down to find Hermione still standing there, tucked against his side, her eyes wide, her mouth working as if she wanted to say something, but kept thinking better of it.

"Ginny, put down your wand," Harry commanded, his eyes still trained on Hermione and Draco.

"Why? Are you on their side, or something? Oh, wait, you're still in love with Hermione. Right, I forgot for a minute since she's cheating on you and my brother with Malfoy," Ginny spat.

"Ginny!" Harry roared and finally looked back at his former paramour. Ginny scowled right back at him.

"What? Oh, don't tell me, that was all a ruse to keep us from finding out about Malfoy," she said derisively, rolling her eyes in disbelief.

"No, no way, Gin, don't be stupid," Ron said.

Harry looked back at Hermione and the question in his eyes was clear as day, from where Draco was standing.

Is this what you want, he was asking her. Would you really rather pretend that you've been seeing Malfoy all along than admit that you and I are in love? Is that all I mean to you now?

Tears filled Hermione's eyes – tears Draco knew she wouldn't shed until in the privacy of her own room – and she opened her mouth again.

"Harry," she said, her voice a desperate whisper through the cold air. "Please."

For all that Draco still detested the man, the look on Potter's face was heartbreaking and Draco had to admit that in that moment, his grudging respect for him grew to admiration. Harry was going to heed Hermione's wishes and keep their relationship a secret, keep what had happened between them to himself, sacrifice whatever love he still held for her in order to save what little dignity she felt she had left. It was so very Gryffindor of him that it made Draco want to puke. Instead, he wrapped his arm about Hermione's shoulders a little more tightly as Potter turned from her, resignation in his eyes, and faced Ginny.

He gave the performance of his life. It was possibly better than pretending to be dead, because this time it was the Weasleys he was lying to – some of his very dearest friends – and Draco couldn't help the small amount of glee that hopped about in his heart when Harry lifted his eyes to Ron's and in that calm, but weary voice, said, "Didn't you ever wonder why he refused to identify us?"

It was entirely the right, or wrong, thing to say, depending on your point of view, Draco thought. He could see the wheels turning in Ron's head, could see the confusion on Ginny's face as she looked from Harry to Ron and back again. He swallowed hard and didn't look down at Hermione, though he could feel her shifting closer to him and that was a shock in and of itself. But still, he didn't dare look down at her for fear of disturbing Weasley's thought process. Ron screwed up his face and looked at Harry, his face going a funny shade of pink, then so pale all his freckles stood out plain as day. He turned to Hermione.

"Hermione?" he murmured in a little, schoolboy voice and she pulled away from Draco then, her hands out as though she could actually explain. Draco let her go, knowing full well that now was not the time to get involved. He'd already made a bigger mess of things than he could've envisioned, but he supposed that somehow to Hermione it was better if Ron thought she'd been cheating on him with a stranger, an enemy, than with their best friend.

Although, come to think of it, it wasn't like they'd been officially dating, or anything. Not to mention, he had just abandoned them that way, and for what? Because he was worried for his family? Well, that was rubbish because clearly the best thing he could've done for his family's safety was stay and help Potter. And if that was the case, did he abandon them simply because a Horcrux had been too much for him to handle? Ha. Draco had faced the Dark Lord himself every bleeding day and had managed to remain loyal to his family. He hadn't abandoned the people he loved, even if it had made him a coward in the end. Even Snape, in all his greasiness, hadn't abandoned a boy he despised for the sake of the mere _memory_ of the woman he'd loved. And now, of course, Draco knew what she'd meant a few days ago, when she'd told him that even if he'd deserved answers from her, it wasn't her story to tell. It had been Ron's story to tell, his right of admission, despite the fact that two other people had been involved. Well, bollocks. Hermione had every right to talk about what had happened that year. She had every right not to feel ashamed of herself for what she and Potter had done. The last year had been war. People would understand. In fact, hiding it was what gave it shame to begin with.

With a start he realized yet here he was, helping her hide it…almost encouraging her to keep feeling guilty over it.

Balls.

Draco moved forward, as if to take her in the protective curve of his arm again and a motion to one side caught his eye. It was Daphne, shaking her head, telling him to let it go. He cast a quick glare her way and she shrugged as if to say, it's your funeral. He stayed put.

Ron, however, did not stay put. He moved quickly, half stumbling down the slight incline of the path to meet her outstretched hands – except he stopped halfway to her, as if the full import of the situation, of what had already been said, had finally penetrated his thick skull.

"No," he said suddenly and she froze, hands still reaching towards him.

"Ron…" she murmured and he dropped his hands back to his sides, clenching them into fists. There was a light cracking noise and Draco feared for the brute's poor wand, but he was awfully glad Ron had decided not to accept Hermione's embrace.

"Ginny's right," Ron said, his voice hoarse. "I've known all along there was something wrong, but I pretended not to notice because I thought that was how you wanted it and Merlin, Hermione, but you know I'd give anything to make you happy."

She looked stricken, but somewhere she managed to find the self-respect to parry his verbal blow.

"Oh, yes, like you did anything except stay when I begged you to, you mean?" she said, her voice as icy as the ground beneath their feet and Ron flinched. Draco wanted to cheer, but he wisely kept quiet. After all, Potter's wand was still trained on him.

"And I'm sorry for that!" Ron exclaimed. "I'm more sorry than I can ever explain, but I can't take it back, can I?"

"And I wouldn't want you to!" she shouted back at him. "It was the first time I saw you for who you really are! No, scratch that, it was the first time I stopped deluding myself over who you really are because, let's face it, Ron, you've been a complete…_wanker_ to me for at least half the time I've known you!"

Hermione's face suddenly paled as much as Ron's had, as if she realized that what she'd just said in the heat of the moment likely couldn't be taken back. And still, she didn't cry, the brave little Gryffindor. Draco wanted snug her back up against him and wipe away the memory of the way her two best friends were now looking at her. He didn't think Ginny counted as a best friend, since she was really just an extension of any of the other ten-gajillion Weasleys. Unfortunately, whether she counted as a best friend or not, she seemed determined to have her say.

"That is kind of true, Ron," she said now and to his side, he heard Daphne burst into uncontrollable laughter. Annoyed, he glanced over at her.

"Really? Now? Couldn't hold it in any longer?"

"Oh, Merlin, Draco! This is priceless! I'm going to be pensieving this memory for the rest of my life, it's that good. Oo-hoo-hoo! Ee-hee-hee!"

Draco turned back to the rest of them to find that Ron and his sister were now arguing, Harry was still watching Hermione, though he'd finally lowered his wand, and Hermione was watching himself and Daphne, an inscrutable expression on her face…though he suspected it still indicated his potentially imminent death.

"Can't you control your girlfriend, Draco?" she asked him coldly and he held up his hands in protest.

"Don't look at me, I can't do anything with her."

"Girlfriend?" came an enraged roar from the Weasleys' direction and Draco watched Hermione's face drop in shock and then apology before she turned to see Ron advancing once again, wand out and ready.

"You're cheating on Hermione?" Ron yelled and it was clearly a rhetorical question. Draco wondered if he could make a run for it.

"No, Ron, it's not – she's an old girlfriend, an ex-girlfriend, they're just friends now – Ron!" Hermione's explanation ended in a shriek as Ron came right up against her in her effort to keep him from Draco. It was quite a sight, in fact, Hermione at his front, feet digging into the ground, arms against his chest while Ginny stood behind him, hands on his arms, trying desperately to pull him backwards because, as much as she understood her brother's desire to kill Draco, she recognized that the Ministry probably wouldn't be nearly as understanding. Daphne burst into a fresh round of laughter and Draco suddenly felt like killing someone, himself.

There was a sigh from Harry's direction and then Ron was blessedly still, a fact that caused Hermione and Ginny to accidentally push him over and fall down themselves in the process. Hermione immediately yelped in dismay and began trying to right him and brush off his clothes. Ginny managed to find the humor in the situation and joined Daphne's laughter. The minute Hermione gave a tentative smile, however, Ginny's own smile disappeared.

"I'm still upset with you," she sniffed and Hermione frowned and stood up.

"Oh, fine, Ginevra Weasley. Be that way. But I'm not going to stand here any longer and pretend like everything is supposed to be swell and the way it was and that I'm sorry for what's happened. I'm not. Last year was war and this year we're recovering and you can't sit there for one second and tell me you've done everything the way you should for every second of your life. Can you?"

Ginny looked away, clearly still pissed, but not angry enough to ignore Hermione's point. Hermione crossed her arms, noticing the cold again and turned away from the red-heads to find two different paths suddenly open to her. On one side of the clearing stood Harry and on the other stood Draco.

Neither reached out a hand to her, but whereas Draco nodded to her, jutting his chin up as if to say, do you want to go, Harry merely stood there, watching her with unfathomable eyes out of a pair of glasses she'd fixed so many times she'd lost track. Her heart beat strangely and she took one step forward, then two, then three…and her path carried her clear between them and out of the clearing.

Draco and Harry stared at one another while Ginny tended to an awakening Ron, thoroughly distracted, and Daphne continued to snicker. When Draco finally made a move as if to follow her Harry lifted his brows in stark disbelief.

"Really?" he asked, his voice low. "You're going after her? I mean, _you_?"

Draco sneered. "We are dating, Potter."

Harry's face grew ashen. "But Greengrass…and I thought that whole thing…"

"What, thought it was just a ploy to get you lot to shut up and leave her alone? Hardly, Potter," Draco hissed in return. Admiration for the boy he might have in spades, but all was fair in love and war. He went on, driving the knife deeper, knowing that if Hermione had been there she'd have had his balls. That was fine. Not like she didn't have them anyway. "Oh, I'm sorry, does that come as a surprise? I was under the impression you were in on the whole charade."

Harry's brows drew together and he clenched his wand and Draco decided then was a good time for his exit. So, with as regal a sneer as he could, he turned on his heel and followed Hermione, leaving Daphne in the clearing to chortle over the looks on everyone's faces.

"Hee-hee-hee!" she giggled and Harry glared at her.

"Why are you even still here?" he asked irritably and she paused in her laughter long enough to consider the question. Then she looked straight at him and shrugged, tilting her head in the direction Hermione and Draco had gone.

"Why are you?" she asked in return and Harry flushed.

"I dunno, guess I figured I was tired of being the third bloody wheel."

"Aw, Potter, you're hardly bloody. Not a scratch on you! Give yourself some credit, will you? Now, I suppose you didn't stun Weasley too badly, did you? No? Oh, good, he's coming round. That's one less thing for me to worry about. I'm heading back to Hogsmeade."

"Great, thanks for the update," Harry groused at her. "Bye."

"Toodle-oo!" she called, waggling her fingers at him over her shoulder as she trekked up the path, right past Ron and Ginny. She may have accidentally kicked Ron in passing, she couldn't be sure, but he grunted as she walked by and Ginny glared at her.

Daphne could be heard laughing all the way back to the village.

* * *

**AN: I was rereading _Ethics_, my first and terrible fanfiction and think this confrontation outside Hogsmeade is much better than the other one. Mostly because Daphne is fabulous. Hee-hee-hee. ;)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Don't own it, make no money, all rights to JK and co.**

**AN: Finally, another chapter! So, mixed reviews on Daphne. However, I like her and she's here to stay and while she's not as obnoxious in this chapter as she was in the last, I can't guarantee I won't write her the same way again. For those of you who liked her, I hope you continue to like her! Thanks for reading this spot of melodrama at its most melodramatic. :) *waves***

* * *

Hermione was halfway back to the castle before Draco caught up to her. He found her standing stock still in the middle of the road, staring up at the sky as snow was just beginning to drift down in lazy circles. He stopped next to her and looked first at her, then up at the sky as well.

"I don't get it," he said. "Is this a Muggle thing?"

Hermione gave a small start and then lowered her head to glare at him. He cast a glance at her, then back up at the sky.

"Are you trying to catch it on your nose or something?"

"I was just looking at it, Draco," she said.

"Ah," he murmured. "Contemplating the cosmos. Wizards do it, too." He stared at the sky a bit longer before suddenly sticking out his tongue and catching a flake. He made a face. Hermione pursed her lips.

"What is wrong with you?" she asked. Draco shrugged.

"Is this _not_ a Muggle thing?" he responded and caught another flake. He made another face. Hermione snorted to cover her sudden giggle. Draco looked back down at her smugly and she wiped her grin off and glanced away.

"Where's Harry?" she asked quietly and he shrugged again.

"On his way back to Hogsmeade, I imagine," he said. He started walking again and Hermione fell into step beside him.

"You shouldn't have said that," she murmured. "Back there, I mean. About us."

"Because I didn't have the right?" he inquired, his tone stiffly polite. She shook her head.

"Because it just made things worse. I should have let him tell the truth. We can't hide it forever. It will be worse when it does come out."

Draco was quiet for a moment and Hermione took his silence as agreement. When he spoke again his tone was surprisingly gentle.

"They already know the truth, Hermione."

"What?" she exclaimed, startled and he shrugged. It was turning into a bit of a thing just then, but it was hard to know how else to respond.

"Just that. It's not a big deal, no one vocalized the truth, certainly, but they know. It's plain as day. The ginger bint –"

"Her name is _Ginevra_."

"– has already guessed as much which means she knows, she just doesn't want to commit to what the truth means for her own sodding love life; Weasley is being blind on purpose in the hopes that you'll finally forgive him for being an arsehole; and the rest of the school merely assumed a long time ago that you three were hot to trot for one another, so the news would hardly shock anyone."

Hermione continued next to him in silence as he matched her stride and her face betrayed her inner turmoil. He let her be, knowing she'd talk when she was good and ready – and like as not, hex his balls off for his impertinence in the process. But when she did speak again, it wasn't over what he expected.

"Harry and I were best friends for so long, so close. Just like…brother and sister. And I loved him that way, and I know he loved me that way, too. But when Ron walked out on us…" She paused to take a deep breath and Draco caught a sideways glance at her. She was looking straight ahead, facing the future – facing the truth. She went on. "Everything changed after that. There was this thing between us, suddenly. We'd never not had Ron there, to buffer – you know? So when he went, it was like we didn't know how to be around one another at first, especially being in such close quarters. We were…_all_ we had. We were the only two people who existed in that world for weeks and it was impossible to ignore that everything had changed. Ron changed us, his leaving changed us." She took another deep breath and hurried on with her story, with her confession. "I know we could have made a different choice, but neither of us wanted to change our minds. I can't even say it was all Harry's fault, because we looked at each other one night and reached for one another at the same time. It was mutual. There was no right or wrong in that moment, we just needed and wanted and so we took. I didn't just 'let' him do anything, I wanted it too – you see?" She turned her head then, searching Draco's face for judgment, or understanding. He shoved his gloved hands in his pockets and looked down at her.

"I can't give you what you want, Hermione," he murmured. "You have to come to terms with this on your own. But I do need you to know that whatever you decide is fine with me."

She heaved a sigh and looked ahead of herself again. They walked on in silence for several meters more. Her voice carried over the lightly falling snow clearly.

"That whole time I knew there was still a part of me that cared for Ron. Logically I thought we were just using one another as best we could. I never thought Harry would treat what had happened that way, or that he would choose me. Ginny was all he'd thought of for months and then he suddenly decided he wanted me? Because we'd slept together? It was mad. Then Ron came back and he could see – god help me, I knew it hurt him – that I was so happy Ron had returned, even as angry with him as I was. So he let it go for a while and I thought…I genuinely thought he'd just get over whatever it was he thought he felt for me. Stupid, isn't it?"

"What is?" Draco asked quietly and Hermione twisted her lips.

"That knowing Harry as well I as I did – as well as I do – that I couldn't see he's a one witch man. That whatever happened between us meant more to him than it did to me."

"Hermione." It was a command and Hermione stopped walking to look up at Draco. He was turned towards her, his face serious. She wondered vaguely when he'd become her confidant and then decided it didn't matter. Her feelings had been such a mess for so long that all she cared was he'd listened and he wanted to help her…and that he'd somehow become her friend.

"Don't lie to yourself," he murmured and when she took a startled step back from him, annoyance crossing her face, he reached out and grabbed her shoulders. "Listen to me. I know all about lying to yourself. Trust me on this, you can't keep doing it or it'll eat you alive. And it starts with what happened between you and Potter. You keep thinking you're the bad one here, that you didn't feel the same way he did, or you knew what you were doing, but you didn't. You were making it up as you went on, same as the rest of us and you and Potter did the only thing you knew how to do one night and as a result you fell in love with one another. There's nothing to be ashamed of there, it happens. Merlin, do I know."

"How do you know?" she asked, her mouth going dry. Draco stared down at her, a strange look in his eyes.

"How do I know you fell for Potter? Easy. You've been avoiding him in the hopes that you'll just get over him; you've thrown yourself back into a failed relationship with Weasley for the same reason; not to mention you've thrown yourself at me to try and forget the entire mess. It doesn't take a mind reader to see that you feel something big for him in order to stoop to snogging me. I'm hardly your first choice of boyfriend material, after all."

Hermione's face fell and she shook her head. Draco frowned.

"What, don't believe me?"

"No, while that was very illuminating, I meant…how do you know love happens that simply? It doesn't seem like it should. Everything that goes into it is so complicated…"

Draco's brow cleared and he gripped her shoulders a little more tightly.

"Ah. That," he muttered and he seemed to debate something, then spoke up. "Well, that's easy, too." Hermione looked up at him expectantly and Draco licked his lips before going on.

"I know it just happens that way, Hermione, because I'm in love with you."

* * *

Daphne could hear the Weasleys coming up behind her as she trudged down the path and back into Hogsmeade. She would've just started back to the castle, too, but she figured someone needed to make sure Blaise and Theo hadn't been arrested for shagging in public, one, and two, she wanted to share all the juicy details of what she'd just witnessed. Draco would probably be mad at her for a while for spilling the beans, but he'd get over it and if he didn't, well, he'd be too busy with Granger to pay much attention to her anyhow.

She began to whistle and was about to head over to the Three Broomsticks when she heard a shout behind her. Weasley. Bugger that, what did he want? Was he mad about her kicking him? She turned around.

"What's that?" she called and waited for him to catch up to her. Ginny Weasley didn't join her brother, just glared at her again and then headed for the Hogwarts rendezvous point. Daphne turned her attention back to Ron, a polite, but bored expression on her face.

"Listen," he began, "I just want to be very clear over one thing."

"And that would be…"

"You aren't seeing Malfoy, are you?"

Daphne rolled her eyes. "Merlin, you aren't still on about that? Didn't you hear Granger, Weasley? I'm an ex. And _ex_-girlfriend, as in, no longer dating, just friends? Maybe you should've come back for Eighth Year, gods."

"It's not funny, Greengrass," Ron said, blushing hotly. "She might not want me, but I care a great deal for her and if you or Malfoy screw things up…"

"Oh, please. Stop with the noble hero act. Draco and I heard everything about your abandoning them last year. Stuff it, Weasley. No one cares that you care, least of all Granger, not to mention that you hardly have the right to care anymore."

The blush was wiped away and he went quite pale. Daphne almost felt bad…except not really. Bloody Gryffindors and their misplaced sense of loyalty and courage.

"It's ok, you know," she said, leaning towards him slightly.

"What is?" he asked, startled.

"Being upset with her over this. It's ok. Any normal bloke would be. Draco's been furious with her for ages over her still seeing you."

"He doesn't have the right to be angry with her about anything," Ron suddenly snarled and Daphne stepped back calmly.

"And why's that? Because his feelings aren't as real as hers, somehow, since he's a former Death Eater? He's just a bloke, too, you know."

Ron exploded. "He doesn't have the right because his family treated her like garbage! So he didn't identify us that time? So what? The minute Harry and I heard her screaming we acted, we felt something and it was sheer terror that his bitch of an aunt was going to murder her and what did he do? He just bloody stood there and let it happen! Don't you ever try to tell me that sodding wanker has a right to feel anything at all over something she does to him. Hermione Granger is ten times the witch than the wizard he'll ever be, do you understand me?"

He'd stepped closer to her and was towering over her as he ranted, causing Daphne to bend back a little under his angry gaze. She felt her heart pounding quickly and realized she was a little frightened of Ron Weasley in that moment. It was funny, but she'd never pegged him for anything more than a misguided groupie of Potter, yet here he was, defending that Granger so fiercely, all on his own…

"You really love her," she said and Ron stopped, surprised.

"Well…yeah," he replied. His eyes narrowed as he watched Daphne, as if he weren't sure if she was just going to take the p again and she smiled up at him suddenly.

"That's really almost…sweet. Admirable, even. Good for you, Weasley." She patted him on the chest solidly and then brushed at one of his shoulders and sleeves again where he still had some snow and dirt stuck to the fabric of his coat. Then she smiled up at him again, patted his shoulder for good measure, and turned and entered the Three Broomsticks.

Ron watched the door swing shut after her, the bell jingling belatedly. His jaw felt rather slack all of the sudden.

"I…what?" he mumbled, his cheeks suffuse with pink.

Harry came upon the village and saw him standing there, staring at the door to the tavern. The walk had calmed him considerably and while he didn't feel quite right over all that had happened, he knew he'd get over it. He had to get over it – it was what Hermione wanted now and Merlin knew he'd do anything for her. He took a deep breath and walked over to Ron, hoping their friendship would remain intact in the days to come, though he had no illusions about the worst of the drama being over. At least Hermione wouldn't be deluding herself or Ron any longer. That was one good thing to come out of the confrontation.

Harry stood next to Ron for a moment, staring in the same direction, before he finally spoke.

"Debating another Butterbeer?" he asked and Ron jumped.

"Er – Harry! No, mate. Nah, I could do with a Firewhisky, though. Er…and you?"

"No need to be nervous, Ron," Harry said quietly. "I'm the one who should be on pins and needles right now. After all, everything I kept from you…you've every right to be angry with me."

Ron sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets. He looked over at Harry and though his eyes were tired, there wasn't any malice in them, just regret.

"Nah, Harry. I don't, not really. I reckon I'm a big part of the reason any of this happened in the first place. Hermione…she was right, back there. I'm not saying I'm not hurt, or angry, but I've just had it pointed out that it doesn't matter in the end. I _do _care about her, so I need to let her be, let her figure this out, let her do things how she wants."

Harry raised his brows and wondered briefly if Ron had been Imperioused. He shook his head and clapped a hand on his friend's back.

"Ron, Hermione cares for you, too. She cares for us all. That's why she let things go on the way they have."

Ron frowned and waved away the explanation. "I know, mate. Look, let's not talk about it any longer. Tomorrow's Sunday and we're off training for the weekend. Let's get hammered tonight."

Harry gave him a tight smile that Ron eventually returned. "Alright, Ron. I admit I could do with a drink, too. Lead the way."

Things would never be the same, but Harry knew then the only way to mend their relationship was to keep his big mouth shut and get over Hermione Granger. The only problem was…he wasn't sure which he wanted more: his friendship with Ron, or a future with Hermione.

* * *

**AN: And of course the drama isn't over yet. Poor Harry! What will happen next? Well, what will happen next is...I will go eat cookies. ;)**


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